HARRISBURG
- Big trucks making their way across Pennsylvania will be held to tighter fuel
standards in the coming years. President Obama has directed federal agencies to
develop higher fuel-efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by
March of 2016. Peter Shattuck, the director of market initiatives for
Environment Northeast praised the environmental rationale for these standards.

"The
less energy you use, the fewer carbon emissions are generated, the more savings
are produced for businesses; but also, less money (is) flowing out of the
region for fossil fuels."

The
standards will affect all vehicles weighing more than 8500 pounds, from large
pick-up trucks to 18-wheelers. According to the White House, the new rules
would build on standards passed in 2011 that already are projected to save
vehicle owners and operators $50 billion in fuel costs in the lifetimes of
models built from 2014 to 2018.

Just a
few years ago, it was estimated that heavy-duty vehicles made up only 4 percent
of the transportation sector, and yet accounted for about one-fourth of the
road-fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions from this sector. And ENE's Shattuck
predicted the new standards will do what they are intended to, and have an
effect on air quality.

"States
which are more densely populated and have the links to the Mid-Atlantic region
and New York do see some of the heaviest traffic, particularly the I-95
corridor."